Samuel Oginni, 59, of Crystal Lake; Former Owner of Pontiac GMC

Samuel Oginni, 59, of Crystal Lake passed away August 10, 2013 at Centegra Hospital-Woodstock.

Born on March 21, 1954 in Nigeria to Titus and Dorcas Oginni, his life began with hard work and an undefeatable spirit.

Sam came to the United States alone with barely a penny in his pocket and put himself through school in Minnesota. He attended Bemiji State University for his undergraduate degree, and Morehead State for his master's degree in business.

He met his wife, Sally MacArthur, when he challenged her to a tennis match in Gregory Park in Brainerd, Minnesota; she won, and they were married on May 8, 1982 in Morehead, Minnesota.

Sam was a true salesman. Charismatic and incredibly outgoing in all aspects of his life, people trusted him as a leader in his work and community. Unrelenting drive and devotion led Sam and his family to relocate to Crystal Lake, where he became the owner of Crystal Lake Pontiac GMC in 1995, which he owned until 2011.

Being fortunate to have done well in his life, Samuel loved giving back to the community. He established a scholarship at his church in 2001 and was happy to provide the church any assistance it needed.

When a new program was started to increase student awareness about the benefits of wearing a seatbelt, Sam gladly became the first car dealer to donate a car to Operation Click. He was also an active member of the Rotary Club from 1995 to 2011 and made many valuable friendships through this group.

The most important thing in Sam's life was his family.

Taking family vacations were times he treasured the most, and tremendously enjoyed a last family trip to Ireland. His family is full of athletes, and Sam was a huge part of his children's adeptness and passion for their teams.

Sam played semi-pro soccer in Nigeria and spent hours practicing with his kids. He was also an avid Vikings fan, Minnesota being the first place he really called home in the U.S.

Throughout his life, he remained brave, generous, and full of faith. He will be greatly missed by not only his family, by the people whose lives he touched within his community as well as the strangers he showed kindness to every day.

He is survived by his wife, Sally; children, Rachael (Steve) Dumas, twins Rebecca Oginni and Samuel Oginni; his siblings, Adedemidun, Adesola, Ademalola, Adelola, Adefemi, and Adeboyega; and many cousins, nieces, and nephews.

He was preceded in death by his parents.

A memorial visitation will be from 9 a.m. to noon on Saturday, August 17, at St. Paul's United Church of Christ, 485 W. Woodstock St., Crystal Lake. The service will be at 12 p.m.

Memorials may be made to St. Paul's United Church of Christ or to Gift of Hope Organ & Tissue Donor Network, Attn: Gwendolyn Blakemore, 425 Spring Lake Drive, Itasca, IL 60143.

Arrangements were entrusted to Querhammer & Flagg Funeral Home. For information, call the funeral home at 815-459-1760.